When Google Owns You – A New Chapter

Almost two years ago, I wrote When Google Owns You, about what happened with Nick Saber was cut off from all his Google applications. It’s worth taking a quick read now. Now, it’s my turn. I woke up this morning in Montreal to find that my access to my Google accounts has been temporarily disabled due to a “perceived violation of either the Google Terms of Service or product-specific Terms of Service.”

Don’t ask why. I haven’t found out yet. I can’t just yet. I’m in Canada.

So, here’s the list of things I can’t do without my Google Account:

Use my phone properly – it’s an Android phone.

Access my primary calendar.

Access my Google Wave (for collaboration projects).

Access all my RSS subscriptions (Google Reader).

Access my documents (Google Docs).

For anyone who wants to write in the comments “you should have a backup for everything, etc,” save the ink. We all know we should have more than one system, but, look again. That means carrying another phone, using a synced calendar platform, and then for the last three, a lot of document sync.

But my thing is this: my access to several core functions are downed in one shot.

The only upside: it *appears* that it’ll be easier to fix this once I’m back in the States. I simply have to give them my phone number to receive a text message. Note that I say “appears.” I use a Google Voice phone number. Will it even be able to receive my text message from Google helping me open my accounts?

Awesome. Thanks, Google.

**UPDATE: So, now that I’m back in the States (Philadelphia en route to home), I put in the “send me a text message” verification code option thingy. It sent my phone a text (not via Google Voice, obviously), and then just asked me to put in my new password. Technically, it wasn’t exactly hard to reset the account.

But what happened? No feedback. No idea. Just dead. That’s the part that gets me. The method? Whatever. But no information?

Not as helpful.

Chris Brogan

CEO of Owner Media Group

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